Page 50 of Firefly

Rebecca choked on a startled laugh and wheezed through the pain spiking through her chest. “No. He has to”—she sucked in a breath—“go away… during the day.”

Sarah wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “Okay.”

Rebecca reached out, finding Sarah’s hand, and squeezed. “He’s going to take us… away… tonight. Will you… pack… for me?”

Sarah nodded.

“Good girl. Go… pack.”

Sarah slid off the bed, leaving her basket of flowers behind. “I picked those for you. Love you, Mama.”

She bounded from the room, throwing the door open as she left.

When she was gone, Rebecca closed her eyes, trying not to focus all her attention on the myriad of aches riddling her body. She let herself imagine she would go with them. They would find a cute house in Chicago, far from her father and his demons.

She and Simon would raise Sarah as their own, take new names, and live out their days together. In her imagination, he would get a job, and rather than being in some in-between place all day, he would be at work, and each night, he would come home and greet her with a kiss.

They would dance by the fireplace, listening to their favorite songs. Then, they would slide into bed, and she would rest just like this, against his chest, falling asleep in his arms.

A tear slid down her cheek, and she didn’t have the energy to wipe it away.

“How sweet.”

Rebecca’s eyes flew open, heart hammering in her chest. She turned her head as her father crossed his arms.

“Crying for your life? Or your lover’s?” he taunted.

“Leave him alone,” she gasped out.

“He’s not your husband, Rebecca. While I draw breath, you will not share a room with a man you aren’t married to. Even if he is half a man.”

“He’s more… man… than… you.”

Rage danced in her father’s eyes, shooting ice down her spine. He lunged forward, gripping Simon roughly by the arm, and yanked him off the bed. Rebecca fell back, hitting her head on the headboard.

“Stop,” she cried. “You’ll… hurt him.”

He didn’t spare her a second glance as he grabbed Simon under the shoulders and dragged him backward out the door. She heard the thud of Simon’s shoes as they clacked against the stairs.

She rolled over, crying out as pain shot down her left arm; she fell over the side of the bed, landing hard on the floor.

“Simon,” she cried uselessly, pulling herself across hardwood planks. Her chest constricted painfully as she gasped for breath. Her head throbbed, but she slid her hands out in front of herself and reached for the bedpost. “Simon,” she breathed.

Her skin was hot and cold at the same time, and the room was spinning. She closed her eyes, relaxing her head on one side, letting the cool wood soothe her flaming cheek.

A light breeze ran over her face, and it felt like the caress of fingers along her skin. In that moment, her pain vanished, replaced by a comforting calm.

Rest, light, a deep voice she had never heard whispered in her mind. Soon, you will be free of this suffering and this life.

She nodded—or thought she did, but her body felt weightless. Maybe that was just her mind floating above her body.

I don’t want to die alone, she thought.

You’re not alone. I have been with you from the moment you were born, and I will be with you for eternity.

Chapter 38

Simon

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